Local Headlines from Around theLoop

 Superintendents’ salaries, Parking at a park in Rye, the possible next Mayor of Larchmont…and more.

 

 

You thought Mamaroneck had highly paid School employees? Under a Freedom of Information Law request, LoHud found these salaries in Rye:

Superintendent Edward Shine was the Rye district’s highest paid employee, earning $268,623 to oversee a 3,100-student district. That was slightly more than Yonkers Superintendent Bernard Pierorazio, who earned $266,000 in 2008 to manage a district with 25,000 students.

theLoop found (via www.seethroughny.net ) Mamaroneck Schools Superintendent Paul Fried earned a salary in 2008 of $250,783.81. The District has approximately 5,000 students according to its website.

Database: Rye School District salaries, 2008

Meanwhile, the average Rye teacher made $83,181, according to an analysis of payroll records.

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An interesting profile in LoHud of Josh Mandell, possibly the next Mayor of Larchmont. Mandell says he wants to tackle the problem of the growing number of empty storefronts on Palmer Avenue. 

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The Police Commissioner in Rye was cleared of fault in the accident where his car hit a boy on Boston Post Road February 1.

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And, a group of dedicated people in the Town of Rye are working towards reclaiming the Town Park for people, not cars. Here are their preliminary recommendations. If you are interested in joining them, the next meeting will be Monday,March 8 at 6 pm at Rye Town Hall. (10 Pearl St., Port Chester)

 

1) Erect barriers as soon as the summer of 2010. We believe this is the only viable means of improving park safety for pedestrians. We recommend a seasonal barrier at the northwestern end of the duck pond that extends to the stone wall. This reduction would still allow one-third or more of the park to be used for parking which we believe is a reasonable compromise.

 

2) Raise parking fees and create a significant differential between resident and nonresident visitors. The proposed changes will also increase weekend and holiday rates and eliminate all free parking.  Proposed pricing is in line with peer beaches. We believe that there will not be a meaningful change in total revenues under the plan we propose.

 

3) Examine alternative methods of parking revenue collection that minimize cash transactions, maximize accountability, improve traffic flow, and allow for more accurate tracking of parkers.

 

Other Recommendations

 

ŸEmploy a traffic engineer to determine the most logical traffic flow within the park, the optimal means of ingress and egress and the best way to organize field parking.

 

ŸBecause this plan involves differentiating between residents and nonresidents, we anticipate the need to change traffic flows in order to prevent traffic congestion on nearby streets. We believe it will be imperative to collect parking fees on the way out and not the way in.

 

ŸInstall more cameras in and outside of all booths (parking and at the gates) to serve the same purpose as above.  Increase use of the existing motion sensor to create a checking mechanism against parking receipts.

 

ŸEncourage other means of transportation.  Explore arrangements with the MTA to create attractive packages that combine gate fees with commuter trains and buses.

 

ŸExplore other parking areas.  This includes looking for ways to use the 200-car lot adjacent to the North gate of the beach currently owned by the County and used for Playland. Explore shuttle services from off-site parking sites.

 

ŸExamine issues having to do with alcohol usage and general behavior in the park and ensure that there is adequate enforcement.

 

ŸUndertake further studies of the residency of car parkers and the approximate duration of their visits to refine pricing strategies in the future.

 

 

 

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